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<title>(don't call me baby) unless you mean it by insomnia_anonymous</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072165">(don't call me baby) unless you mean it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/insomnia_anonymous/pseuds/insomnia_anonymous'>insomnia_anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arrow (TV 2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, confused dinah, oblivious laurel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:42:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/insomnia_anonymous/pseuds/insomnia_anonymous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>laurel is on one page<br/>dinah is in another chapter entirely</p>
<p>they should really figure out what book they are reading <br/>(the book is a metaphor)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(don't call me baby) unless you mean it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <i>title is from </i><b>dive</b> by <b>ed sheeran</b><br/>also shoutout to <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/WardenRoot/profile">@WardenRoot</a></b> beta-ing<br/>feel free to send me prompts on my tumblr <b><a href="https://ins0mnia-an0nym0us-au.tumblr.com/">ins0mnia-an0nym0us-au</a></b>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Laurel watched Dinah out of the corner of her eye as they walked home after their night out. Being friends with Dinah was something Laurel never expected to happen — or for her to actually enjoy the other woman’s company and to cherish the relationship they had. All reasons Laurel kept having to list in her mind as to why she could never try to take things further, it just wasn’t her place and it never would be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t like she had any right to even be friends with Dinah, let alone try for anything more - not after all she had done both to Dinah and to people in general, no, she only deserved whatever Dinah was willing to give and to hopefully be her friend for however long she was allowed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laurel startled when Dinah bumped their shoulders together. “Stop thinking so hard.” Dinah smirked when Laurel glared at her. “We just had a fun night out and I can practically see the gears in your head turning.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Some of us can use our brains more than once a day.” Laurel smiled lightly when she received an eye-roll in reply.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, that’s why you’ve been quiet for nearly the entire walk back home.” Laurel tried not to let the fact that Dinah called her place home for both of them affect her. “I thought we talked to each other now.” Dinah’s brow was furrowed when she spoke, not liking the fact that Laurel was hiding something that was bothering her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laurel frowned, slightly picking up her pace. “We do, I mean, I do talk to you.” Laurel let out a frustrated breath. “But you can’t tell me that there’s nothing you aren’t telling me, I mean, there’s got to be something.” Laurel felt relief as their place came into view.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing that makes me broody like you.” Dinah reached over and grabbed onto Laurel's hand, making her slow her pace back down to match her companions. “If something was really bothering me, then I’d tell you about it.” It came out like a promise, and Laurel felt her gut churn at the idea of still keeping something from Dinah.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was for the best though, there was no way Dinah would return her feelings, and in the end, it would just make their friendship awkward. “It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Laurel said it with a finality that meant the conversation was closed, and attempted to pull her hand from Dinah’s but Dinah refused to let go.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I never said you couldn’t handle it—” She pulled at Laurel so that she was closer— “but you don’t have to handle things on your own anymore.” Rubbing her thumb across the back of Laurel’s hand, Dinah looked up into her eyes. “You have me now to help you with those things.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laurel was trying her best not to just lean down and kiss Dinah. She was always beautiful but the moonlight was making her ethereal and her outfit was doing everything to accentuate her gorgeous figure. There was a flush rising up Laurel's neck and her mouth refused to move, instead of keeping her eyes locked with Dinah’s she tried to beg with her eyes for her to just back away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But instead, Dinah moved even closer, making their fronts brush, and Laurel let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Is this what you were thinking about?” It was asked innocently, but Laurel could see the mischief in Dinah’s eyes. “I’ve been wondering what’s been taking you so long.” Laurel raised a brow but remained silent as Dinah continued. “I was letting you lead us at your glacially slow pace but if you need me to take the lead—” Suddenly Dinah had a fistful of Laurel's jacket and was pulling her forward until their lips were nearly touching— “I can do that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss was electric, and Laurel could feel it shooting from her lips to her toes. She never imagined she’d get to experience what Dinah Drake’s lips would feel like, but here she was, passionately moving her lips to match Dinah's pace. When she felt a tongue touch her lips, she nearly jerked her head back, but managed to just barely stop herself, their mouths still close enough to feel each other's heavy breaths.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Laurel hated the way her voice sounded — so weak and vulnerable (turned on too).</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Kissing you,” Dinah replied as though it was simple, and started to move in for another kiss but was stopped by Laurel. “Babe, I won’t go any further than you want, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Babe?” Laurel felt her face morph into utter confusion as she pulled farther away. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dinah finally took in Laurel’s demeanor and her smile turned into a frown. “Laurel, we just finished a date - didn’t we?” Folding her arms, Dinah watched Laurel’s eyes bulge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean a date?” Laurel ran a hand through her hair, trying to think of what Dinah could mean - though as she thought more she realized she’d been acting like a girlfriend for a while now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After her first week on Dinah’s couch and it ruining her back, Dinah had let her start sleeping in the same bed as her. Laurel started making Dinah breakfast before work, sometimes her favorite if she was having a rough week. They held hands sometimes when they walked to places. Laurel tended to surprise Dinah with lunch on hectic days, and they almost always cooked dinner together. They had movie nights where they cuddled, and on Laurel’s bad nights, Dinah held her through the worst of it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m such a fucking idiot.” Laurel dropped her head to her hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So you didn’t… we aren’t dating?” Dinah sounded timid, and Laurel hated that she was the reason.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jerking her head up with wide eyes she shook her head. “No! I mean yes, <strong>goddammit</strong>, D!” Laurel huffed. “I thought we were friends!” Laurel felt her eyes watering and angrily wiped at them. “I was fine just being your friend and just pining from the sidelines because I don’t deserve you but then you just fucking kiss me out of nowhere and tell me you thought we were dating all along, and I’m <strong>such</strong> a fucking moron!” Once again putting her head in her hands, Laurel couldn’t look at Dinah when she eventually left.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a moment of tense silence before, suddenly, Laurel had to look up when she heard Dinah’s laughter. She was laughing with a hand covering her mouth, mirth in her eyes as she looked at Laurel. “What?” Laurel pressed her lips together. “What are you laughing at?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Trying to get a hold of herself, Dinah placed her hands on her hips, trying to stifle her laughter. “You are so stupid.” Dinah burst into another bout of laughter while Laurel glared at her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Gee, thanks,” Laurel grumbled, moving to start walking toward the nearest motel, but before she could get even a step away, Dinah had her hand around her wrist.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Stupid—” Pulling Laurel back to face her, Dinah softly cupped Laurel’s cheeks— “you deserve me.” She pulled Laurel down into a gentle kiss, and slowly their lips moved against each others, with Laurel’s hands reaching up to grip at Dinah’s forearms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This time Dinah pulled away first, keeping her hands firmly on Laurel's cheeks and wiping at the tears she saw there. “Let’s finish this conversation at home.” Dinah smiled. “Although, for the record, I was counting this as date number four.” Dropping her hands from Laurel’s face, she interlaced their fingers together before gently pulling Laurel along with her toward their place.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laurel felt a smile spread across her face as she stumbled behind Dinah. Looking at their joined hands, she felt a warmth spread through her body, and even though tonight had been a roller-coaster, she couldn’t help but think it had all been worth it.</span>
</p>
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